DIG HOLE, SOFT MOLE
by Carolyn Lesser & illustrated by Laura Regan
Lesser (Great Crystal Bear, p. 376, etc.) provides an appealing introduction to a little known animal: the star-nosed mole, who is not only an expert digger, but an excellent swimmer. Here the mole tunnels under dirt and leaves, emerges underwater in a pond, and paddles to a meal of fish and snails, before resting on a rock in the moonlit pond. Rhyming couplets occasionally deviate awkwardly—``Crickets hop, twigs pop./Centipedes slink under leaves''—but are mostly fluid. The oil and gouache paintings in soft green, brown, and blue on a glossy paper lend a dreamy quality to this simple nature tale. Regan has filled the illustrations with creatures to discover: crickets, centipedes, turtles, frogs. Enchanting. (Picture book. 5-7)